Programme overview
Introduction:
Hospital pharmacy management, covering the formulary, the P&T committee and cost control, is a five-day course for pharmacy directors, managers and supervisors that ends with a Pharmacy Department Improvement and Cost-Control Plan for a case hospital. Many pharmacy departments see drug spend rise each quarter while non-formulary requests, ward stock discrepancies, controlled drug variances and dispensing backlogs absorb pharmacist time. Nominees already lead pharmacy sections, shifts or committee tasks and work through case studies built on formulary requests, drug expenditure reports, dispensing data and staffing rosters. CoreConcept Training Center delivers this course on hospital pharmacy management.
Course Objectives:
- Assess the pharmacy department's organisation, service portfolio, drug expenditure and workload against a baseline gap register
- Run the pharmacy and therapeutics committee cycle, from formulary addition requests and drug monographs to restriction and non-formulary decisions
- Control drug purchasing and pharmacy inventory using ABC and VED analysis, stock counts and turnover measures
- Organise unit dose and automated dispensing cabinet distribution with stock profiles, refill reports and barcode verification
- Govern controlled drugs and compounding services through registers, count reconciliation, diversion surveillance and service oversight
- Report pharmacy performance through a KPI dictionary and accreditation tracer readiness, and produce a Pharmacy Department Improvement and Cost-Control Plan
Target Audience:
- Pharmacy department leadership teams accountable for hospital pharmacy services, budgets and drug expenditure
- Pharmacy section management teams responsible for inpatient, outpatient, satellite or compounding units
- Pharmacy supervision teams that run dispensing shifts, rosters and ward distribution
- Formulary and P&T committee secretariat teams that prepare drug monographs and committee decisions
- Pharmacy inventory and purchasing management teams that hold drug stock, controlled drugs and automated cabinet profiles
Course Outline:
Day 1: Pharmacy Department Organisation, Services and Baseline Review
- Pharmacy Department Organisation Chart and Section Responsibilities
- Inpatient, Outpatient and Satellite Pharmacy Service Portfolio
- Drug Expenditure Report Analysis by Therapeutic Class
- Pharmacy Workload Units, Staffing Mix and Productivity Ratios
- Pharmacy Department Baseline Assessment and Gap Register
Day 2: Formulary Management and the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee
- P&T Committee Charter, Membership and Meeting Cycle
- Formulary Addition Request and Drug Monograph Template
- Formulary Restriction Criteria by Prescriber, Area and Indication
- Non-Formulary Request Process and Therapeutic Interchange Policy
- Formulary Review Calendar and Drug Class Review Decisions
Day 3: Drug Purchasing, Pharmacy Inventory Control and Distribution Systems
- Pharmacy Purchasing Calendar, Wholesaler Orders and Contract Pricing
- ABC and VED Analysis for Pharmacy Stock Prioritisation
- Inventory Turnover, Stock Count and Expired Drug Write-Off
- Unit Dose Distribution Cycle and Cart Fill Workflow
- Automated Dispensing Cabinet Stock Profiles and Refill Reports
Day 4: Controlled Drug Governance, Compounding Oversight, Informatics and Quality
- Controlled Drug Register, Count Reconciliation and Diversion Surveillance
- Sterile and Non-Sterile Compounding Service Oversight Model
- Pharmacy Information System and Barcode Dispensing Verification
- Pharmacy KPI Dictionary with Turnaround, Stockout and Spend Measures
- Pharmacy Accreditation Tracer and Standards Readiness Checklist
Day 5: Case Study: Pharmacy Department Improvement and Cost-Control Plan
- Case Hospital Briefing on Drug Spend and Dispensing Delays
- Case Formulary Savings Review and Therapeutic Interchange Options
- Case Inventory and Automated Cabinet Stock Rebalancing Exercise
- Case Pharmacy Shift Roster and Workload Redistribution Scenario
- Pharmacy Department Improvement and Cost-Control Plan Completion
Skills You Will Gain:
- Pharmacy Service Portfolio Design
- Formulary Decision Support
- Drug Monograph Preparation
- Pharmacy Inventory Classification
- Unit Dose Workflow Organisation
- Controlled Drug Reconciliation
- Pharmacy Workload Measurement
- Pharmacy Accreditation Tracer Preparation
Why Attend This Course:
- Deliver a Pharmacy Department Improvement and Cost-Control Plan to the pharmacy director and the P&T committee for approval
- Decide which formulary additions, restrictions and therapeutic interchanges to recommend on evidence of cost and use rather than prescriber preference
- Avoid controlled drug count variances, expired stock write-offs and dispensing backlogs that lead to accreditation findings and budget overruns
- Share monograph, restriction, stock profile and KPI templates with pharmacy supervisors and committee secretaries
Conclusion:
Back at work, the participant gives the pharmacy director and the P&T committee a Pharmacy Department Improvement and Cost-Control Plan for the hospital pharmacy. The committee uses it to approve formulary actions and drug spending targets, while supervisors use its stock profiles, rosters and KPI dictionary to run distribution and controlled drug routines. After the first quarter, the department should review drug expenditure against the baseline, non-formulary request volumes, controlled drug variances, dispensing turnaround and open accreditation tracer findings.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
What should participants know before a hospital pharmacy management course?
Participants should already lead a pharmacy section, shift or committee task and know how their hospital orders, stores and dispenses medicines. Bringing a recent drug expenditure report, formulary request or dispensing workload summary helps them apply the case work to their own department.
How does hospital pharmacy management differ from a medication safety or hospital supply chain course?
It concentrates on running the pharmacy department: formulary governance, P&T committee work, pharmacy inventory, distribution systems, controlled drugs, staffing and KPIs. Medication safety courses focus on error prevention at the bedside and supply chain courses on sourcing all medical products; this course touches both only lightly.
How does the P&T committee support cost control in hospital pharmacy management?
The committee decides which medicines enter the formulary and under what restrictions, weighing benefit against cost. Drug monographs, class reviews, therapeutic interchange policies and non-formulary request tracking let the pharmacy curb drug spend without blocking justified prescribing.
What do participants take back from the hospital pharmacy management course?
Participants take back a Pharmacy Department Improvement and Cost-Control Plan built on a case hospital, with templates for the P&T charter, drug monographs, restriction criteria, cabinet stock profiles, controlled drug reconciliation, shift rosters and a pharmacy KPI dictionary.